What are the best games for long distance couples?

Games that work in real time and do not require both people to be in the same room: trivia, drawing games, word games, and co-op video games over a call. Den's built-in games run live between phones with no screen sharing. Skribbl.io, Gartic Phone, and GeoGuessr work well over video call. More ideas for making virtual time feel like real time in our post on virtual date ideas for long distance couples.

Do games actually help relationships?

Research says yes. The Gottman Institute has written about shared play as one of the strongest predictors of long-term relationship satisfaction. Laughter and friendly competition create positive energy that keeps couples from defaulting to purely logistical conversations. Games are not a substitute for communication, but they are one of the easiest ways to create the kind of easy, joyful energy that keeps things feeling alive. More in our post on how to keep a long distance relationship strong.

Is there a couples-specific game app?

Den has four games built specifically for couples that run live between both phones: Connect Four, Hangman, Couples Trivia, and Photo Roulette. No screen sharing or third-party workarounds. Both partners are in the same game seeing the same board. The games are part of a broader daily loop that includes questions, selfies, and shared memories. More in our post on what Den does.

10 Fun Games to Play with Your Partner (Even Long Distance)

Playing games with your partner is fun and good for your relationship. Research from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships shows that couples who engage in novel, exciting activities together report higher relationship satisfaction and stronger emotional connection. Play creates shared experiences, brings out your personalities, and a little friendly competition never hurt anyone.

Whether you are in the same room or separated by a few thousand miles, here are 10 games worth playing with your partner tonight.

1. Skribbl.io

Skribbl.io is a free browser-based drawing and guessing game. One person draws a word, the other guesses it. No download or account required, just share a private room link and go. It is chaotic in a good way, especially once you realize neither of you can draw a convincing elephant under time pressure.

Fast, free, and endlessly replayable.

2. Couples Trivia (Den)

The premise is simple and the results are always revealing: you each write trivia questions about yourselves, then quiz each other. Den's Couples Trivia takes this further. You set 4 answer choices, a live 10-second timer keeps the pressure on, and you can watch each other's scores update in real time.

The best part is not winning. It is finding out that even after 6 months together, your partner had no idea you were afraid of escalators.

3. Connect Four (Den)

Classic for a reason. The 7x6 grid is easy to learn and hard to put down. Den's version syncs the board live between both phones. You see your partner's move as they make it, no lag or waiting for a third-party app to update.

Fast enough for a five-minute break, strategic enough to fill a whole evening.

4. Colonist.io

Colonist.io is a free online version of Settlers of Catan. You are building settlements, trading resources, and blocking each other from the best spots on the board. It requires actual thinking, which means it also sparks a lot of conversation.

Fair warning: it will test your ability to stay friends when someone steals your wheat.

5. Hangman (Den)

Standard Hangman gets an upgrade when the secret word is something meaningful: an inside joke, a place you have been together, a movie from your first date. Den's Hangman lets one partner set the word and a hint, giving it a personal layer that generic word game apps do not have.

6. Gartic Phone

Gartic Phone is the online version of Telephone meets Pictionary. You write a sentence, the next person draws it, someone else describes the drawing, and so on. With just two players it becomes a back-and-forth where something perfectly normal becomes completely unrecognizable by round three.

Free, browser-based, and no download needed.

7. GeoGuessr

GeoGuessr drops you into a random Google Street View location and challenges you to figure out where in the world you are. The free tier gives you a few rounds a day; the paid version is worth it if you get hooked. Playing together, comparing guesses, arguing about whether that road sign is German or Dutch, is surprisingly absorbing.

It is also educational, which you can mention if you need to justify spending two hours on it.

8. Photo Roulette (Den)

Den's Photo Roulette pulls random photos from your shared camera roll and challenges one partner to guess who is in them. You can filter by time period: last 3 months, last year, or all-time. So you can go deep into the early-relationship era, memories from 5 years ago, or keep it recent.

Part game, part nostalgia trip, and it usually turns into a conversation about the memory behind the photo.

9. Online Co-op Video Games

For couples who already game: co-op titles built for two players are some of the best time you can spend together. A few standouts:

It Takes Two: a full narrative co-op adventure, frequently called the best co-op game ever made
Stardew Valley: farm together, fish together, fall into a 3-hour hole together
Overcooked 2: chaotic kitchen co-op that will definitely start an argument about who burned the soup

The Gottman Institute has written about how shared play, including video games, builds friendship inside relationships. These are not just games; they are quality time.

10. Jackbox Games

Jackbox makes party game packs that work beautifully for two people over video call. One person streams the game, both play on their phones. Drawful 2 (you draw absurd prompts and guess each other's), Quiplash (fill-in-the-blank comedy writing), and Fibbage (bluffing trivia) are all standouts.

Each pack costs around $10-30 and has 5 games. Worth it if you do regular date nights.

Why Games Matter in a Relationship

Relationship psychologist Dr. John Gottman has spent decades researching what makes couples thrive. One of his consistent findings: couples who play together, who laugh, compete, and create shared experiences, have deeper friendship and better conflict resolution than couples who do not.

Games are not a substitute for communication or commitment. But they are one of the easiest ways to create the kind of light, joyful energy that keeps a relationship feeling alive.

If you are navigating long distance specifically, see our post on how to keep a long distance relationship strong. And for more structured date formats that go beyond games, virtual date ideas for long distance couples has the full breakdown.